


there's a hero in you

by prosodiical



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Identity Porn, superhero au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-01 18:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2783300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prosodiical/pseuds/prosodiical
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aoi Asahina's relationship with her girlfriend Sakura is a little complicated by her awkward crush on her superhero ally, a gorgeous, muscular white-haired woman... wait.</p>
            </blockquote>





	there's a hero in you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lirillith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lirillith/gifts).



Spreading her toes and digging them into the sun-warmed sand, Aoi stared out at the ocean, mouth pursed in a frown. She tapped her earpiece again. "Out there, really?"

"It's a signal," Alter-Ego said over the line. "I mean, it might be an artifact or something, but it can't hurt to check it out, right? If they've got hostages again..."

Aoi swung her arms, stretching them up and out. "I guess I could use a swim," she said with a smile. The beach was deserted, the sun was bright and warm, and she checked her mask-goggles were strapped on tight before she took off at a run.

She only let herself get waist-deep in the water before she started swimming. It was something wonderful for her, the tight, efficient movements she could keep with her arms and legs, moving in synchronisation, eating up distance as she let her thoughts wander. Swimming in the ocean was the best of it, really; there was something about the vast blueness of it that made her feel like she could just swim right off the edge of the world. She had a purpose now, though. It wasn't the first time she'd had to deal with what Alter-Ego called 'Monokuma robots' and what she privately thought of as bear-bots, those weird despair-praising robots with bombs. Whoever was making them was definitely crazy, Aoi thought; there were enough super-heroes around it was pretty pointless to go around kidnapping people, even people on boats.

Aoi spotted a boat on the horizon - "That's the one," Alter-Ego agreed - and stopped, treading water as she ducked her head under the surface and whistled. This was her power, a pretty useless one all up, but she couldn't help her smile as a dolphin whistled back. They were the friendliest of the creatures she could chat to, and Aoi laid out a couple of pointers that the dolphin pondered for a moment before whistling agreement.

"Okay, heading in," Aoi said, anticipation thrumming through her as she swam a little further, then dived under to approach a little more hidden. She surfaced at the side of the boat - well, maybe a ship - and climbed up, throwing the bear-bot on lookout into the ocean. But strangely, there were only a few lingering bears on deck, rushing toward the central cabin. Aoi frowned as she grabbed the last few and tossed them overboard, trusting the dolphin to make sure they drowned, and said, "What's going on?"

"Hm," Alter-Ego said. "Maybe you should take a look?"

Aoi bit her lip, shifting from foot to foot, when she heard an ear-piercing scream. "Okay!" she shouted, a little too loud, as she sprinted for the cabin door, throwing it open with a bang.

The cabin must have been dark, before. The lights were out, the curtains drawn, but with the sunlight pouring in through the door behind her Aoi could see the bear-bots strewn in pieces around the floor, the hostages tied up with rope in the far corner. One of them must of been the one who screamed, though Aoi couldn't see why.

A shadowy form stepped out of the darkness on the other side of the cabin, and Aoi barely repressed her own squeal. "The Warrior!" she exclaimed, her gaze caught on the woman's always-majestic form, the corded musculature on her arms and legs. The Warrior was said to be the strongest woman alive, a hero who worked alone but was more efficient than any group could claim. Aoi clasped her hands together and gave her an excited smile. "I'm sorry," she blurted, "I didn't mean to interfere."

The Warrior turned her masked face toward her. In a low, gravelly voice that sent shivers up Aoi's spine, she said, "A - Aqua-Girl?"

"Yep, that's me!" She could feel the heat rushing to her face under the Warrior's shadowed gaze, and ducked her head. "Um, yeah, so, you've got this handled, I guess?"

"Indeed," the Warrior said. "Though if you wish, I will check the rest of this vessel whilst you untie the civilians."

"Sure!" Aoi exclaimed. "Anything at all." She stepped out of the doorway as the Warrior walked past her, nearly brushing her shoulder, and Aoi spent a moment staring after her before she turned back to the captives. It was only a small group; teenagers her age or a little older, and Aoi gave them all a bright smile as she bent down to untie their ropes.

"She's pretty scary," one of the guys commented, as Aoi frowned and picked at the ropes around his ankles. She needed a knife - oh, wait, hadn't she been given one? She searched her swimsuit (well, Alter-Ego called it a costume) and found the hidden sewed-in pocket that had a thin blade, then started sawing at the rope. It fell apart pretty easily, and Aoi pursed her lips at the guy.

"She saved your life," Aoi said, "and she's a hero."

One of the girls said, rolling her eyes, "Sounds like someone's got a crush," and Aoi sighed, hands on her hips.

"I'm taken," she said firmly. "Now, do you want me to free you or not?"

They obediently shut up as Aoi finished cutting their bonds. She couldn't help but think they might be right, though, and felt even worse for it. She'd always been a little star-struck enamoured by the Warrior, ever since they met beating down some creepy pervert in an alleyway. The Warrior was just so strong, and kind - she always made Aoi feel welcome, even though her superpower was pretty useless and she wasn't that great at fighting, despite the training she tried to stick to. But the whole thing made her feel terrible because her girlfriend was such a perfect human being; why couldn't Aoi just love her, tell her everything, not have this stupid crush? Aoi knew she didn't deserve any relationship at all being an idiot like this, and she resisted the urge to bury her head in her hands and have a good cry as she cut the last rope free.

"Okay," she said, and coughed a little to clear her throat. "Okay, have a good day, and remember the crime-stoppers hotline!" She managed a smile which made her skin feel stretched tight and thin, and waved at them as she left the cabin for the deck above.

There, the salty ocean breeze swept her breath away, and Aoi stared out for a moment at the distant horizon, her lips pressed together tight. She was helping people, she was trying to be a good person, but somehow she felt like everything was getting more and more messed up. Now her life was filled with endless bumps and bruises and burns and worse, secrets she struggled to keep.

"Aqua-Girl?"

"Hi," Aoi said, and her smile became a little easier as the Warrior came to stand up next to her. It wasn't her fault, after all; just Aoi, being stupid Aoi. "All clear?" she remembered to ask, at Alter-Ego's prompting in her ear.

"Yes." The Warrior paused, and added, "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," Aoi said. "I mean, not that I was much help or anything, and I'm sure you had it all under control anyway - "

"Your assistance was appreciated," the Warrior said, her voice softening a touch.

Aoi felt a surge of affection for her, tempered again by that terrible, lingering guilt. She really should get back. "You're welcome!" she said, her throat tight but her tone enthusiastic. "Anyway, I've got to go, I'll see you around!"

"Until we meet again," the Warrior farewelled, and Aoi wished she could see under that mask to tell what she was thinking; instead, she dived off the ship and started swimming back to shore.

It was a good, long swim, but it took nearly an hour for the exercise to make her muscles tingle pleasantly, the work of a training session well done. She circled a few times near the beach she had left from, then spent a while floating on her back, staring up at the sun in the sky. When she finally stepped out to shore, she exhaled slowly, then trod back over to her bag of stuff, pulling out her earpiece after bidding Alter-Ego goodbye and picking out a towel and her phone.

Speed-dial one, and the phone rang only twice before it picked up. "Asahina-san?" Sakura asked.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Aoi said, feeling an uplift in her mood just by hearing her voice. "You know how I was out training today, right? I think I've found an awesome spot for some beach training - what do you think, running, swimming, and a picnic tomorrow?"

"Hm," Sakura said, her voice thoughtful. "Yes, I believe we should."

"That's great!" She could hear sounds of a fight in the background, but Sakura was always at her family's dojo on the weekends. Aoi worried her lower lip between her teeth. "Hey, is everything okay?" 

"Indeed," Sakura said, her voice warming. "I will be occupied at the dojo for some time tonight, but shall I pick you up tomorrow morning?"

"Sure," Aoi said. "Hey, I kind of want to tell you something later, if that's okay - anyway, I've got some warm-downs to do, I'll call you later!"

Sakura said, "Asahina-san," and Aoi paused, bringing the phone back to her ear. Sakura sounded almost amused as she said, "That's fine. I love you."

"I love you too." Aoi kept on the line until she heard the click of Sakura disconnecting, and then she held her phone to her chest for a moment. She felt the resolve to say something firm in her heart; all this lying to her best friend and her girlfriend was weighing on her, like a cleaver poised over her head, waiting to drop.

Well, she'd made a plan, and now it was the time to stick to it. Aoi nodded to herself, picked up her bag, and started a slow jog back home.

 

The next day dawned bright and crisp, and Aoi did a few stretches as she grabbed a donut to go. She could rely on Sakura to bring protein shakes, one with a little more sugar and chocolate for Aoi, so she just tossed her gear in a bag to go, making sure her Aqua-Girl stuff was safely stowed away under her bed. Then she paused, took out the mask, and put it at the bottom of her bag, just in case.

At the knock on the door, Aoi nearly tripped over her bag handles as she sprinted to the door, pulling it wide. "Sakura-chan!" she said brightly. "Good morning!" She took the protein shakes from Sakura's hands and put them down on the floor so she could jump at her; Sakura caught her, as she always did, and Aoi wrapped her arms around Sakura's neck and her fingers in her hair as they kissed. Aoi let out a sigh as Sakura pulled away, a smile on her face, and pressed a sloppy kiss to her cheek as she dropped back to the floor.

"Good morning," Sakura replied, and Aoi giggled.

"It really is!" Aoi bent down to pick up the protein shakes, but Sakura had already taken her bag by the time she remembered she should be grabbing that too. She always did, really; Aoi sighed but couldn't repress her happy smile as they headed off.

The beach was as deserted as it had been the day before, and Sakura examined it with a practiced eye before giving Aoi a nod. "Good, right?" Aoi said, excited, already toeing off her shoes. "Want to take a quick run up-and-back?"

"Of course," said Sakura, and Aoi gave her a cheeky smile as she stripped to her swimsuit in one efficient motion and took off at a sprint. 

"Race you!" she called out behind her and could hear Sakura's low, amused chuckle as she took off across the sand. When Sakura caught up to her, Aoi slowed down to a more comfortable pace, and they shared smiles as they ran, leaving footprints in the sand.

After their run, Aoi took to the water, but she knew it was just delaying the talk she needed to have with Sakura, meditating on the sand. She swam a few laps up and back to the shore, and wrung out her hair as she stepped out, leaving a trail of wet sand behind her.

"Hello," Sakura said, and opened her eyes to give Aoi a smile. "Are you hungry?"

"A little," Aoi said, shifting on her feet, then gave up on distance and plopped down next to her. "Maybe later, though - there's something I kind of need to talk to you about."

Sakura gave her an encouraging look, and Aoi fiddled with the hem of her swimsuit. "So..." she said, and blurted, "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Of course," Sakura said, and grasped one of Aoi's fiddling hands with her own; her fingers engulfing Aoi's palm. Aoi looked up at her, and she smiled. "I love you as well."

"Well," said Aoi, and took a fortifying breath. "So, I kind of have this crush on this superhero, not that anything would happen or anything," she added quickly, "but we're friends, me and the Warrior, or, well, me as Aqua-Girl and the Warrior, and I do think she's pretty amazing, but I promise, you're the one for me and I won't let any superheroes get in the way!" She finished with a little too much enthusiasm, and Aoi winced and chanced a look up at Sakura's face.

Sakura's expression had twisted into something that might almost be amusement, a palm covering her face. "Sakura-chan?"

"Asahina-san," Sakura said, shaking her head and dropping her hands, sounding more surprised and less angry than Aoi thought the situation deserved, "I apologise; I am the Warrior."

"You - are the..." Aoi trailed off. "But Sakura-chan is Sakura-chan, you can't be - "

"Why?" Sakura asked, her tone calm and logical, and Aoi flailed for a response.

"Because... because!" she said, with a sudden epiphany. "You fight with mixed martial arts, but she's definitely just a wrestler!" Aoi, hands on her hips, stared mulishly at Sakura; Sakura's mouth twitched and then she started laughing quietly into her hand. "Hey," Aoi said, pouting. "It's true."

"I am sorry," Sakura said through her chuckles, and Aoi found herself feeling the whole thing was a little silly, anyway, with Sakura's lovely laugh lightening her spirits. "You are correct, but I deliberately attempted to hide my identity using a limited fighting style." she paused, giving Aoi a smile, and added, "Though, I believe you are the only individual who noticed."

"Aw," Aoi said, twisting her nose, but she could feel the wry smile tugging on the edge of her lips. "I guess... you really are her, huh." 

"I'm afraid so," Sakura said, and Aoi sighed and tugged at her, until she was safely ensconced in Sakura's arms.

"I was kind of an idiot, huh," she said in a small voice, into Sakura's shoulder, and she could feel Sakura's chest rumbling with a laugh as she shook her head, hair brushing the top of Aoi's head.

"I did intend deception, initially," Sakura said, "but Asahina-san," and she tilted Aoi's head up so their gazes met, "I am certain you were the only one who noticed because you are the only one who knows how I fight. Indeed," she added, "the one knows me best of all."

"Well," Aoi said, her smile involuntary, "you did train me pretty good. Sakura-chan..." she trailed off, and Sakura's eyes crinkled at the edges.

"Though," Sakura said, humour in her voice, "Aqua-Girl, truly?"

"Oh, you - !" Aoi exclaimed, and pushed her gently; Sakura fell back to the sand with an amused huff of breath but caught Aoi's more enthusiastic punch, and they rolled around on the sand until they were both laughing. Aoi flopped on her back and tugged Sakura down with her, so she was nestled on Sakura's side, her head tucked under Sakura's chin. Sakura put her arm around Aoi's shoulders and pulled her closer, and there they lay, tired and content, watching the wispy clouds float across the sky.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Hero (The Romantic Beat-Down Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12118149) by [Inkyrius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkyrius/pseuds/Inkyrius)




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